■ --~ 8 to this region is justified by the variety of practices and materials discovered and the general applicability of this data to other regions. In contrast, derelict thatched dwellings are rare in adjacent Co. Wicklow, although the two that have been recorded revealed unusual materials and methods that will contribute significantly to the overall story. No building can be ignored, as almost eve1y building visited to date has provided evidence for idiosyncratic detail and a considerable degree of regional and local diversity in the principal materials and fixings employed. Materials research Modern Irish thatch is largely derived from oat and rye straw, whereas many of the older roofs excavated so far have a basal coat of wheat straw. This suggests that the shift to oat for thatching is a relatively recent one in many areas. Contempora1y thatchers would certainly use straw of"tougher', longerlasting varieties if these were available, but unfortunately almost no stocks of ancient Irish wheat or oat varieties survive in Ireland. One must turn to gene banks in Wales, Scotland and England for small samples of varieties similar to traditional Irish varieties that must then be multiplied over several years to reach production level. A ve1y rare example of an ancient, genetically-diverse 'land race' populations of bristle oat (Avena strigosa) was recently discovered by Mr. Letts in a remote part of Donegal and is currently being multiplied for experimental purposes. Netted thatch, County Donegal. Flax thatch, County Armagh. Some oat varieties undoubtedly produced high quality thatching straw in the past, but a short life expectancy for a thatched roof now seems to be accepted as inevitable - perhaps because of growers' attempts to produce marketable grain as well as straw from the same crop. The evidence suggests that a considerable increase in the longevity oflrish thatched roofs could be achieved by growing older varieties better suited for thatching, reducing the use of chemical fertilisers and harvesting the straw while a little unripe. Experimental plots of a few older varieties of wheat and oats were sown for experimental purposes in Oxford and Co. Kildare in late 1996 to provide a basis for discussing the potential for varietal research in Irish thatch. The preliminary results of a screening trial of c.250 old wheat varieties being undertaken by Mr. Letts at the University of Reading in Berkshire, England, will also be available soon, providing a basis for selecting suitable wheat varieties for more detailed analysis under Irish growing conditions. Collection and analysis of ethnographic and historical data The translation of the Irish language replies to questionnaires and associated sources in the Department of Folklore at UCD is nearing completion. This work is being carried out by Diarmuid 6'Gruagain under the supervision of Crfost6ir Mac Carthaigh, and will eventually be made available to interested researchers through the Folklore Department. The unanticipated richness of this resource has encouraged a greater emphasis to be placed on the ethnographic data compared with studies of thatching in England. Preliminary results The in situ record of thatching in Ireland has turned out to be far richer than had been expected, both technically and materially, and Irish roofs clearly hold treasure troves of data useful to historians of agriculture, the landscape and vernacular buildings. Equivalent diversity in England and the Continent appears to have been ~tripped away long ago, and Irish roofs are thus unique in a wider context in having preserved methods and materials once much more widely used throughout Western Europe. The evidence suggests that wheat straw was more commonly used than oat straw in many areas in the last century, along with barley and rye straw. Somewhat surprisingly, combined barley straw was still used in some areas until ve1y recently. Truly appalling examples of straw thatching are not difficult to find in Ireland. Cases exist of newly applied thatch that could not withstand a winter without major repair, and the oat straw currently used rarely lasts for more Straw and water reed, Ardmore, County Waterford. Context 56 December 1997
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